Transporting bag having conductive property

ABSTRACT

A bag which is used in filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing products having granular, powder or liquid form, has at least one side surface and at least one lower cover having conductive elements on the surfaces thereof and interconnected by a connection element, wherein the connection element is conductive providing the connection of at least one side surface with the other side surface and/or at least one side surface with at least one cover.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the bags used in filling, emptying, carrying, stacking or packing the products having granular, powder or liquid form.

The invention especially relates to the bags whose side surfaces and/or upper cover and/or lower cover are sewed to each other with conductive yarns, thereby discharging the electrostatic charge generated during filling.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98

Today, flexible bags are used for carrying, packing or stacking the products having granular, powder or liquid form which are produced in the industry. These bags, basically, have side surfaces and a lower cover. They comprise an upper cover covering the mouth of the bag depending on the usage thereof. Depending on the need of use, filling and discharge spouts are provided in said lower cover and upper cover. The side surfaces, upper cover, lower cover, filling spout and discharge spout constituting the bag are interconnected by sewing with yarn.

During filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing of the bag carrying the products having granular, powder or liquid form, electrostatic charge is generated on the surface of the bag. Grounding of this electrostatic charge generated on the surface of the bag is necessary. Unless the grounding is made, the bag and thus the product inside the bag are burnt even with the smallest spark.

Conductive wires are provided on the fabric surfaces of the side surfaces, lower cover and upper cover constituting the bag, for grounding of the electrostatic charge generated on the surface of the bag in the state of the art. In order to interconnect said conductive wires, each interconnected side surface and/or upper cover and/or lower cover and/or filling/discharge spouts are sewed by using conductive foil therebetween and/or thereon. In this manner, the interconnection of the wires is provided which are not interconnected upon sewing of the bag. Grounding is also provided by a conductive foil positioned on any area on the bag.

In this method used in the state of the art, with the mounting of the additional conductive foil applied, the operation duration of the bag production extends and extra material is used. This situation increases labor and raw material related costs. The complaints received with respect to the conductivity are generally based on misplacement of the conductive foils and/or inadequate functioning thereof. In the state of the art, the conductivity is provided from a single point only with the connection of the conductive foils. During production, incorrect mounting of the conductive foil may take place, which in turn makes the product inconvenient. In the present application, the conductive foil attached incorrectly is detached and the mounting is performed again. This, in turn, means extra process time for the repair.

Each bag is tested for controlling the conductivity after production. During the test stage, every surface of the bag is tested separately and controlled if it is convenient or not in terms of conductivity. However, this process stage also extends the labor time and increases the costs.

The production, stocking and delivery of the conductive foils used in the bag production create an additional cost. During the conductive foil production, more waste is produced compared to the standard foil production. Moreover, as carbon material is used in the receipt of conductive foils, the recycling thereof is not cost-effective.

The conductive foils used in the prior art create an appearance on the bag, which is not visually appealing to the customer. Label on the bag may cover the printing or similar themes.

In the document with a publication no. TR200103444, a bag providing anti-static effect is disclosed. The present invention relates to large bags transferring material, wherein it especially relates to bag material with permanent anti-static additive which provides the electrostatic energy generated on said large bags during filling or emptying to be discharged therefrom. This document encountered in the prior art relates to the fabric material from which the bag is produced.

The patent document with a publication no. EP1411007 discloses a flexible container used in transporting the bulk materials. Said invention is a flexible container (FIBC) for transporting the bulk materials, wherein it has anti-static properties, is made of coated or uncoated woven fabric or plastic film, and is fitted with elements convenient for discharging the static electricity accumulated in the flexible container (FIBC) by corona methods, the flexible container has an outer surface, in the surface of the fabric or plastic film it comprises fibers extending outwards less than 10 mm from the surface at least partially. This invention relates to the fabric material from which the container is produced.

In the document with a publication no. WO 2004/005164 a bag providing the grounding of the static electricity is mentioned. This invention relates to a mechanism developed to be used in FIBC, which enables the immediate grounding of the electrostatic energy generated during filling, emptying or transporting of the materials carried by large FIBCs which carry bulk materials such as sugar, flour, starch, and chemical substances. The FIBC developed by this invention and providing grounding of the static energy generated within the material in the bag is characterized by inner elements knitted preferably with multi-filaments or mono-filaments and tapes, made of polymers in the form of a web or net with a special antistatic additive which is sewed to an appropriate place in the FIBC so as to have maximum contact with the bulk materials in the FIBC in order to ground the electrostatic energy at distant points of the FIBC wall. In said invention, elements are positioned inside the bag for discharging the static charge. This method increases the labor and the use of raw material, which leads to an increase in the production costs.

To conclude, developments are being made in the bags used in industry, therefore, new embodiments which will eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages and offer solution to the existing systems are needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the bags which meet the aforementioned requirements, eliminate all the disadvantages and offer some additional advantages.

The main object of the invention is to provide grounding of the electrostatic charge generated on the surface of the bag during filling, emptying, carrying, stacking or packing of the products having granular, powder or liquid form.

An object of the invention is to provide said grounding process in the safest and the most precise manner.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the production costs by providing the production of said bags with fewer raw materials, less labor and in shorter time.

Another object of the invention is to minimize the use of foil which will perform the grounding process during the bag production.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the use of foil which is required for providing conductive connection between the side surfaces and/or upper cover and/or lower cover and/or filling spout and/or discharge spout.

Another object of the invention is to produce a much safer product in terms of conductivity by providing the conductivity on the bag not from a single point but from multiple points.

Another object of the invention is to prevent extra labor and time losses by minimizing or completely eliminating the test stages performed after the bag is produced.

Yet another object of the invention is to create a product much more appealing to the eye.

In order to achieve all the advantages mentioned above and to be understood from the detailed description below, the present invention is a bag which is used in transporting, stacking or packing the products having granular, powder or liquid form, comprises at least one side surface and at least one lower cover comprising conductive elements on the surfaces thereof and interconnected by means of a connection element, wherein an embodiment is obtained in which said connection element is conductive providing the connection of at least one side surface with the other side surface and/or at least one side surface with at least one cover.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is a yarn having conductivity.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the conductivity of the connection element is provided by means of the conductive wire positioned in the yarn.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection of at least one cover with a spout is provided by means of a connection element having conductivity.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is a sewing yarn made of multifilament material.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is a sewing yarn made of monofilament material.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is a sewing yarn made of polypropylene material.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is a sewing yarn made of polyester material.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, said connection element is sewed with any of the methods such as single chain, double chain, overlock, and lock stitching, or with the combination thereof.

The structural and characteristic features and all the advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood thanks to the figures below and the detailed description written with reference to those figures. Therefore, the evaluation needs to be done by taking said figures and the detailed description into consideration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the embodiment of the invention and the advantages thereof together with the additional elements in the best way, it is necessary to evaluate it together with the figures described below.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag according to the invention.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   1. Bag -   2. Side surface -   3. Cover -   4. Spout -   5. Conductive element -   6. Connection element -   7. Grounding element

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the bag (1) according to the invention are described only for a better understanding of the subject matter without any limiting effect.

The invention is a bag (1) which is used in filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing the products having granular, powder or liquid form, comprises at least one side surface (2) and at least one lower cover (3) comprising conductive elements (5) on the surfaces thereof and interconnected by means of a connection element (6), characterized in that said connection element (6) is conductive providing the connection of at least one side surface (2) with the other side surface (2) and/or at least one side surface (2) with at least one cover (3).

In FIG. 1, the perspective view of the bag (1) according to the invention is given. The bag (1) used in filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing the products having granular, powder or liquid form, in its most general form, comprises side surfaces (2) and covers (3) disposed in the bottom and top sections of the side surfaces (2). Depending on need and different areas of use, filling or discharge spouts (4) are also used on the covers (3).

The side surfaces (2) are generally connected perpendicularly to each other and in a way to form a quadrangle structure. The covers (3) are used in order to close the bottom and top opening of the formed structure. The bag (1) comprises a cover (3) at least at the bottom surface thereof in order to provide filling. In this manner, a bag (1) in the form of quadrangular prism is obtained. The side surfaces (2) and covers (3) constituting the bag (1) are interconnected by being sewed by means of a connection element (6).

Conductive elements (5) are disposed which are positioned within the fabric surface for providing conductivity in all the surfaces such as side surfaces (2) and/or covers (3) and/or spouts (4) constituting the bag (1). By means of said conductive elements (5), the electrostatic charge generated during filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing is transferred.

In the embodiment according to the invention, yarn and/or yarns having conductivity is provided as a connection element (6). Thus, even if the conductive elements (5) disposed in different surfaces do not contact after the bag (1) is sewed, as the connection element (6) will pass through any point of the bag (1), it provides connection between conductive elements (5).

The grounding process is performed with a grounding element (7) positioned at any point on the bag (1). Said grounding element (7) is the conductive foil used in the prior art or the derivatives thereof. As the conductive wires (5) providing conductivity are disposed at any point of the bag (1) surface, the use of the grounding element (7) at any point is possible.

The conductivity of the connection element (6) is provided by means of the conductive wire positioned therein. As a connection element (6), materials derivative of plastic such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or polyamide can be used. As an alternative embodiment, the connection element (6) can be made of full conductive metal material. As a conductive material, silver or copper materials having good conductivity are preferred. The sewing process performed with the connection element (6) can be applied with the methods such as single chain, double chain, overlock and lock stitching, or with the combination thereof.

Thanks to the embodiment according to the invention, the need for conductive foil used in order to provide conductivity in the bags (1) is eliminated. With said embodiment, the conductivity is provided during the sewing process already being performed. Thus, labor and raw material costs are substantially saved. The conductivity provided from a single point in the prior art is optimally provided from multiple points. The labor time is shortened as sewing only the defective area will be sufficient in the defective productions. The need for conductivity test is also eliminated as any seamless area will be detected visually. Moreover, the words and labels on the bag (1) are prevented to be covered, and a product more appealing to the eye is obtained. 

1. A bag which is used in filling, emptying, transporting, stacking or packing the products having granular, powder or liquid form, comprises at least one side surface and at least one lower cover comprising conductive elements on the surfaces thereof and interconnected by means of a connection element, characterized in that said connection element is conductive providing the connection of at least one side surface with the other side surface and/or at least one side surface with at least one cover
 2. The bag according to claim 1, characterized in that said connection element is a yarn having conductivity.
 3. The bag according to claim 2, characterized in that the conductivity of the connection element is provided by means of the conductive wire positioned in the yarn.
 4. The bag according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection of at least one cover with a spout is provided by means of a connection element having conductivity.
 5. The bag according to claim 1, characterized in that said connection element is sewed with any of the methods such as single chain, double chain, overlock and lock stitching, or with the combination thereof.
 6. The bag according to claim 2, characterized in that said connection element is a material derivative of plastic.
 7. The bag according to claim 6, characterized in that said connection element is a PP, PE, PET or polyamide material.
 8. The bag according to claim 2, characterized in that said connection element is a conductive metal material.
 9. The bag according to claim 8, characterized in that said connection element is a silver or copper material. 